The Israeli regime opened the Erez crossing

The Israeli regime has agreed to allow humanitarian aid to be sent to northern Gaza through the Erez checkpoint, which was closed after the Al-Aqsa Storm operation on October 7. This decision was taken after international outrage over the killing of aid workers by the Israeli army (IDF) and weeks after the United Nations declared a famine in the besieged Palestinian territories.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office announced in the early hours of Friday: “Israel will allow the temporary delivery of humanitarian aid through [the port of] Ashdod and the Erez checkpoint.

Netanyahu’s office claimed: “This increase in aid will prevent a humanitarian crisis and is necessary to ensure the continuation of the war and the achievement of the war’s objectives.”

The Erez crossing was closed nearly six months ago with the announcement of the complete blockade of Gaza by Israel. Since then, the aid has either been sent through the busy Rafah checkpoint in southern Gaza, on the border with Egypt, or landed by air. Aid groups say the current flow is only a fraction of what is needed.

International pressure on the Israeli regime increased after the Israeli military killed seven foreign volunteers for the aid group World Central Kitchen in a three-stage drone strike. The Israeli army said the killings were the result of “misidentification” and promised to investigate the incident.

According to the White House, US President Joe Biden spoke with Netanyahu by phone on Thursday and asked Israel to implement “a series of concrete measures to address civilian casualties, humanitarian suffering and the safety of aid workers”.

Netanyahu rejected growing calls to halt the advance on Rafah city, stressing that Israel must eliminate Hamas fighters in the area.